Game apparatus



Patented July l2, I898.

' W. GILBERT.

GAME APPARATUS. (No Medal.) (Application filed July 14, 1897.)

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\VILLIAM GILBERT, OF ALBANY, MISSOURI.

GA-ME AP ARATufs..:

SPECIFICA TICLI forming part of Letters Patent N0. 607,031, dated July12, 1898. Application filed July 14,1897. Serial No. 644,524. (Nomodel.)

T0 on whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM GILBERT, re

siding at Albany, in the county of Gentry and State of Missouri, haveinvented a Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to g games, and more particularly to games playedupon a table or board with balls to be propelled by cues or disks to bepropelled by the fingers.

The object of my invention is to produce a new and interesting game ofthis class; and with this object in View my invention consists in agame-board provided with surrounding cushions, corner receptacles forballs to be played with, marks for distinguishing the stations fromwhich the balls or disks are to be started, and marks to distinguishcertain lines and stations to which the balls are to be propelled, andpockets covered with rubber to form cushions against which the balls maybe banked during the playing of the game. t

My invention further consists in the improved details of construction,arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, andafterward specifically pointed out in the claims.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention mostnearly appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed todescribe and illustrate its construction and operation in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, inwhich-- Figure 1 is a plan view of the game-table constructed inaccordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section throughslightly more than one-half of the table on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig.3 isa detail sectional view showingthe construction of the cushions.Fig. at is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2 through a portion of amodified form of board for use with disks only. Fig. ,5 is a detailsectional view to illustrate the cushion on the'board" shown in Fig. 4.Fig. 6 is a top plan view of one of the slides covering the pockets.Fig. 7 is-a detail View showing a sheet-iron pocket, such as used in themodified form of table shown in Figs. 4 and 5, attached to the rail.

The base or foundation of my game-table is composed of two layers A A ofhard wood, and preferably covered with oil-cloth,billiardcloth, orsimilar material. The four corners are cut off, as at B, to formreceptacles for the balls not in use.

Cushions O, 0, C and C entirely surround the table, except whereinterrupted bypockets D, D, D and D one in the center of each side.Thesecushions are composed of rubber or other suitable material set upinside the walls E, E, E and E being cemented or otherwise properlysecured thereto.

The lower portions C of the inner face of the cushions are perpendicularfor about onehalf the height thereof, the upper half from this pointbeing inclined inward to an acuteangled edge 0 as substantially shown inFig. 3.

The pockets D are made by attaching semicircularmetal brackets F at theproper positions to project beyond the sides of the table, thesebrackets being covered with leather, as at F, and suspended below themare pockets F of any textile material, having small openings F in thebottom for the removal of dust,

dirt, &c., which may accumulate in them. The inner sides of the pocketsare attached to the outer edges of the table by means of tacks at F Fig.2.

At the inner edge of each pocket is placed a circular wooden upright G,level with the top of the cushion and having one corner cut away to fitit around the angle of thepocketbracket. These wooden uprights aresurrounded with a cushion constructed similar to the cushions beforedescribed.- Centrally marked upon the board is a circle H, in the lineof which are located pins II, projecting above the table and surroundedby rubber tubes l-l vof aproper shape to form cushions like the maincushions of the table. YVithin this circle and concentric therewith is asecond circle I, and centrally located in the center of this circle I isa small pocket K, large enough to receive one ball at a time. In frontof each ball-receptacle in the corners are two concentric circles J J,the inner one being not much larger than the circumference of the wall,as shown. v

The table, as hereinbefore described, is adapted to be played upon withballs; but in order to adapt it to be played upon with disksslide-plates L are slidably mounted in the foundation of the table, eachbeing provided with a knob L projecting below the table, by which it canbe moved. There are four plates L, one to be arranged just inside ofeach pocket, and one plate L, arranged alongside of the central pocketK.Each of these plates is curved at its front end and covered with amaterial somewhat similar to the cover of the top of the table, as at LFig. 6. By grasping the knob L and moving these plates into position, sothat their front covered ends will lie in the pockets, so as to makethem flatbottomed and very shallow, the table will be adapted to beplayed upon with disks instead of balls.

When balls are used, they are struck with cues in the same manner asbilliard or pool balls, but when disks are used they are propelled bythefingers direct.

In Figs. 4, 5, and 7 I have shown some modifications especially adaptedfor tables to be used with disks. In this construction the cushions C,as well as the covering of the posts or pegs G and H, are perpendicularon their inner faces, the acute-angled edge being omitted. The centralpocket K is very shallow, with a flat bottom, and the outside pocketsare formed of sheet metal, as at D having a lining D of leather or othersuitable material, the sheet-metal pockets being secured to the sides Eof the table by means of tacks M, driven through holes inside flanges M,lying against the frame, and by tacks M through inward-projectingflanges M to lie against the undersurface of the table.

Inasmuch as the rules of the game are the same for disks as for ballsthe term balls alone will be used in describing them.

Each player, of whom there may be as many as four, is provided with sixballs, which lie in the corner pockets B, as shown in Fig. 1, untilready to be used. The player starts shooting by placing his ball uponthe circle J and striking it with a cue. No count can be made by adirect shot; but in order to make a count a ball must, before going intothe pocket, be caromed from another ball, from a side cushion, or fromone of the cushions H around the centrally-arran ged posts. This is theprincipal rule of the game, and inasmuch as no count can be made excepton an angle I have denominated the game Angulus. Bymaking a propercaromshot a player pocketing his ball is entitled to any particular numberagreed upon in advance or as stated in the rules to be promulgated witheach table when sold. Counts are also to be made by leaving a ball upona space between the circles I and H a greater count by leaving the ballin the center pocket K. Inasmuch, however, as the specific rules of thegame have no bearing whatever upon the invention, but may be varied tosuit the circumstances of each case, no description of them is deemednecessary here.

While I have illustrated and described the best means now known to mefor carrying out my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do notrestrict myself to the exact details of construction shown, but holdthat I am entitled to any such slight changes or variations of detailsas would suggest themselves to the ordinary mechanic.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A table upon which balls or disks are to be impelled provided withsuitable cushions and with pockets opening through said cushions, thecorners of said pockets being surrounded by curved cushions extendingtoward the center of the table, slightly beyond the line of the cushionsand slightly into the pockets, thereby to prevent straight shots intothe pockets being made, substantially as described.

2. A table upon which balls or disks are to be impelled having markedthereon startingpoints, a central pocket, side pockets, a circularseries of pegs around the center pocket and obstructing-cushions at thesides of the side pockets, said obstructing-cushions being in line withthe starting-points and side pockets, whereby no direct shot can be madefrom a starting-point into a side pocket, substantially as described.

3. A table arranged to be played upon with balls, having deep pockets,and slides below the surface of the table to be pushed into the pocketsto cut off their lower portions and adapt the table to he played uponwith disks, substantially as described.

at. A table upon which balls or disks are to be impelled provided withdeep pockets, and slides for making said pockets shallow, said slidesbeing located in the body of the table a short distance below itssurface and having their forward portions covered with leather orsimilar material, substantially as described.

W'M. GILBERT. lVitnesses:

ALFRED SMITH, L. H. DAINGERFIELD.

